The change has ‘been a long time in the making’.
Pet Blood Bank UK has announced it will soon be launching a feline blood service.
The news follows authorisation from the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), marking a significant new chapter in veterinary transfusion medicine for cats across the country. It also comes after many years of behind-the-scenes development work by the charity.
Until now, access to feline blood products has been a significant challenge due to the lack of a dedicated service. This new service promises to bridge the gap, providing vets with a reliable, welfare-focused source of feline blood products, just as the charity does for dogs.
Wendy Barnett, veterinary nurse and clinical director at Pet Blood Bank UK, will spearhead the development of the service.
Wendy said: “We know how much a dedicated feline service is needed, having heard that message clearly from veterinary colleagues over many years. We are absolutely delighted that we can now say it’s happening.
“This has been a long time in the making, and we’re incredibly proud to be taking this next step to support cats, their owners, and the veterinary teams who take care of them.”
Further details about the service will be announced in due course. Meanwhile, the charity would like to hear from anyone interested in registering their cats as donors.
To qualify as a blood donor, cats must be fit and healthy, between one and eight years old, have a good temperament, and weigh over 4.5kg.
Image (C) evrymmnt/Shutterstock.com
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
